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‘He wasn’t great’: Troy Deeney relays worries over ‘top finisher’ after West Ham display

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Troy Deeney has claimed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang isn’t his normal self after Arsenal’s 3-3 draw away to West Ham United. 

The African endured a tough day against the Hammers as he proved anonymous on the left-win before departing for Gabriel Martinelli in the 81st minute.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the Watford striker relayed his worries over the striker’s form as he pointed out a key moment that proved the ace is out of sorts.

Deeney said: “He wasn’t great yesterday. I think there was a moment just before he came off where Lacazette gave him the ball on the left. Normally, he’d have a touch and shot and he took one, two, three touches and got caught out. That’s when you know when someone’s not in their normal rhythm. Let’s be honest he’s a top finisher but normally it’s one-touch, shoot.”

“Normally strikers have a favoured position and that’s his, in the box, and he’s going through one of those moments. He had a short pre-season and the contract stuff affected him.”

Where should Aubameyang play?

Left-wing

Centre-forward

Arteta’s use of Aubameyang proves to be one of the more interesting aspects of his line-ups this season. It seems he prefers to keep switching the forward between the left-wing and number nine roles depending on the game ahead.

However, a simple look at the differing impacts the Gabon international has had in the positions show exactly why the 31-year-old should not ever play on the left side of the attack.

Sunday’s game against the Hammers was just one of a number of encounters in which the former Borussia Dortmund man has failed to influence the game from the left-wing. Manchester City (away), Leicester City (home) and Aston Villa (home) are just three of the league games in which the centre-forward has failed to have a single shot on target whilst playing on the flank. And when you consider the ace is supposed to be a world-class number nine, it proves incredibly worrying.

It seems Arteta’s tactics of putting square pegs in round holes isn’t exactly working out when it comes to the club captain. Despite being the club’s top-scorer, the Spaniard should seriously consider dropping the striker in favour of an actual left-winger in a decision that will no doubt be incredibly hard to make.

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